Winds in the Southeast Pacific

The winds in this area get their start with a major flow in the atmosphere called the Hadley cell. The Hadley cell is formed when warm air rises near the equator and comes back down around 30° South latitude. It then flows back northward towards the equator along the surface. The Coriolis effect turns the winds towards the northwest. These southeast to northwest winds are called the trade winds. The high "wall" of the Andes Mountains helps to steer the winds along the coast and makes them pretty strong. They are sometimes called the "coastal jet".

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